Girl From Mars
by R. Mariano
Summary: Nina Martin was not the only girl who was supposed to arrive at Anubis House. Her best friend, Grace Chadwick, had also come along but came later due to a medical emergency. Jerome takes an interest in the new girl. future Jerome/OC.
1. Chapter 1

**So this is my first story. Please read and review!**

 **You guys have probably read a lot of these types of stories but I can't help writing one. :)**

 **My OC is Grace Chadwick. Her nickname is 'Ray', with the exception of Jerome calling her 'Ace'. She was recently diagnosed with epilepsy, which is why she arrived late into the semester. She is on an athletic scholarship while Nina is on an academic scholarship, but Grace is also very studious. She's around 5'8, pale skin, blue-gray eyes, and long dark brown hair. She's athletic so there is some muscular definition to her. She usually wears plain skinny jeans and a t-shirt when she's not in uniform.**

 **The italicized words are mostly Grace's thoughts or used for emphasis. The bolded words will be texts.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own House of Anubis. The story title comes from a song called Girl From Mars by Ash. I also do not own Ash or that song.**

* * *

There was one thing Grace Chadwick was known for, besides her athleticism and her blue-gray eyes, and that was her punctuality. Grace hated being late to anything; school, parties, sports meets, anything. She also hated missing school for a minute. Every appointment she had were late after school or on weekends so she wouldn't miss school. Because of her punctuality, Grace always had a perfect attendance record. Until this year.

Grace was late into the term. That wasn't really her fault, however. Prior to receiving her sports scholarship, Grace sustained an injury to the brain, which led to her having a seizure in the middle of class some time later. Grace had been taken to the hospital and was later diagnosed with epilepsy. Then there was a scholarship mix-up between her and her best friend, Nina Martin. The school had thought that she was Nina, and she received less money than what the sports scholarship had offered. After fixing the mix up, Grace was instructed to put off traveling until she was seizure-free for at least a month.

A month and two weeks later, Grace stood in front of Anubis House with her suitcase at her feet. It was late at night but Grace didn't care. She was just glad to finally be starting school in England.

Grace walked up the steps and rang the doorbell. A woman with tan skin and dark hair answered.

Grace smiled at the woman, "Hi, I'm Grace. I'm new here."

"Oh, you're American too!" The woman said, opening the door wider so Grace could enter. "I'm Trudy, the housemother. Victor, who is the head of the house, and your housemates are in school right now. There was a school play and an after party. I'm sure it's still going on so you're free to join them if you want."

Grace shook her head. "No, it's fine. I'm a bit tired from my flight so I'll just get settled and head off to bed."

"Oh alright, I'll show you where you'll be sleeping for now," Trudy grabbed her suitcase and led her upstairs to the girls' corridor. She led her down the hall to room next to the bathroom. She opened the door to reveal a bed and a pull-out couch in the room. Grace's shipped luggage were all at the foot of the bed. "This is my room, but you'll be sleeping in here for now. We didn't know you were arriving until today so your bed isn't prepared yet."

"Thank you. I'm so sorry for the inconvenience. My neurologist had told me I was cleared to travel yesterday and I couldn't wait any longer."

"That's right! Mr. Sweet had notified all the staff about your condition, in case something happens while in class. I'm assuming you have medication as well."

Grace nodded. "Yes,I have to take them daily so nothing happens."

"Alright, sweetie. I'll let you get settled and I can go back to chatting with my friend." Trudy smiled and walked away.

Grace had opened one of her suitcases and changed into her pajamas. She then pulled out her cellphone and dialed her mother's phone number. Three rings later, her mother picked up.

"Hey, kiddo. Did you just land?"

Grace walked around the room as she spoke. "I landed an hour ago, but I just arrived at the house."

"Nice. How is it so far? Does it look creepy like in the brochure? Did you see Nina?"

"Well, I haven't seen Nina, because my housemates are all at some after-party for a play so I haven't even met them yet. It's just me, Trudy our housemother, and her friend. I'm staying in Trudy's room for now since my bed has not been prepared yet."

"But does it look like there should be a hunchback bell ringer somewhere in there? Or maybe you should be sipping tea with some lord or lady?"

"Mom, not everyone in England does that."

" _The Hunchback of Notre Dame_ is set in Paris so HA!"

"You are five."

"But at least I'm fun!"

Grace rolled her eyes, "I have to go. It's late over here and I'm tired. Plus, international calling costs money."

"Alright, I'll talk to you soon. Good night. sweetie. I love you."

"I love you too." Grace hung up and laid on her bed. She stared up at the ceiling, thinking about everyone back home, before falling asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Grace had woken up at seven and gotten ready for school. She was a bit nervous since she doesn't know anyone and she's late into the term. Trudy had mentioned that she was American too, which meant that Grace was not the only American in the house. Maybe she could bond with that person and they'd be friends. Or maybe the person would turn out to be a snob. _What if it was Nina?_ Grace hadn't talked to Nina in a while since they were both busy with school and the time difference led to them always missing each other. Maybe Grace will see her around school and the two will catch up.

Grace grabbed her bag and headed downstairs to the dining room. On the way, she bumped into a blonde guy who just ignored her and kept walking. He seemed to be upset about something so Grace just left it alone since she didn't even know him.

When Grace walked in, everyone turned to look at her.

"You're not Patricia," the boy on the far end of the table said. The girl at the head of the table quickly turned around to reveal herself to be Nina. Grace grinned and sighed with relief.

"Ray! Oh my gosh!" Nina stood up and nearly tackled the other American.

Grace chuckled, "Good to see you too, Nina." She squeezed her best friend before letting go. "What's up?"

"What are you doing here?" Nina finally noticed Grace in uniform, "You're finally going to study here?"

"Yeah. I was cleared to travel yesterday so I packed my bags and hopped on the next flight to Liverpool."

"This is great!" Nina then turned around to face her housemates, "Everyone, this is Grace, my best friend. Ray, this is Fabian," Nina pointed to the guy with dark brown hair, "Amber," the blonde girl across from Fabian, "Alfie," the guy at the end who mentioned Patricia, "and Jerome," another blonde boy but with his hair teased. He smirked at Grace, which made Grace raise an eyebrow.

"I love your name!" Amber said.

Grace shrugged, "Everyone calls me Ray." She took a seat in between Amber and Jerome.

"So, Ray, you and Nina are best friends?" Fabian asked.

The brunette girl nodded, "Yeah, since kindergarten. And my mom and her grandmother live next door to each other. By the way, Nina, Gran says you have to call her, because she's worried about you."

Nina sighed, "Sorry, I've been busy with writing the play and schoolwork so I haven't had time to call."

"It's fine just call her when you can."

A man with a goatee wearing a trench coat walked in with two other students following him. One of the students was the same boy Grace bumped into and the other girl was a bit shorter and had dark hair and tan skin. She looked at the boy with a sad expression and he just ignored her. The boy sat in front of her while the girl sat on the end opposite to Nina. Grace looked at Nina who looked worried. Fabian whispered something to her, which made Nina even more worried.

"Is this about the play?" Fabian asked, with an innocent-looking smile.

The man started circling the whole group, "Do you think I'm here to give you a review? Your juvenile fantasies are of no concern to me whatsoever. I am here because a serious theft has taken place," Grace looked at Nina, noticing the guilty look on her face. Grace immediately knew that Nina was the one who committed the crime. Since when did Nina steal? It wasn't like her to do something like that. The girl could barely lie. Unless it was extremely important, "Items of great value were removed from my safe last night," Fabian and Nina both looked at each other, which made Grace suspicious. The man bent down and looked at Fabian directly, "Are you responsible?"

Fabian hesitated, "No."

The man then turned to Nina, "You?"

Before Nina could respond, Fabian cut in, "Why do you think it was any of us? The school was full of people last night," the man straightened himself, "When were they taken?"

"Well, they were there during intermission," the man moved stood directly behind Grace, "The last time I was away from it was during the second half of your irritating little play." This guy really is a pocketful of sunshine, Grace thought.

"There you go, we were all onstage."

"Yeah, couldn't have been any of us," Amber added, smiling. "We were performing. The show must go on and all of that." Grace raised an eyebrow. Was Amber in on it too? She was going to have a strong talk with Nina because what the hell was going on between those three? Nina has really kept a lot out during their calls

"Of course, how very, very remiss of me." He looked down at Grace, "And what about you? Who are you?"

"I'm Grace. I'm new."

"Another American, who is very late into the term."

"I had an emergency. I'm sure the principal notified you."

"Ah yes, Mr. Sweet has informed me of your case. Trudy has mentioned you to me last night. Very well, off to school all of you. Go!" He waved all of them off.

Grace stood up, picking up her bag and a piece of toast to bring with her to school. She noticed that Nina all but jumped out of her seat.

"Is that it, then?" Fabian asked Victor

"Yes, for now. But I shall discover who took those items, you mark my words," Wow this guy has seen way too many bad mafia movies. "And when I do-"

"What do you mean?" Nina interrupted.

"When the security cameras were taken down, I had asked for one camera to be left in my room. I had totally forgotten. So whoever has stolen those item will be caught."

In that moment, Trudy ran in to save the day. "Victor, I've just taken a call from Sweet in your office. He says he needs you at the school."

"What, now?"

"Yes, he says it's an emergency." Victor left the room, with everyone following to head to school. Nina, Fabian, and Amber nearly ran out of the room. Grace caught up to Nina, Fabian, and Amber.

She grabbed Nina's sleeve, "Slow down, Nancy Drew, you have a lot of explaining to do. You and your crew." Grace smiled at the unintentional rhyme

Nina's eyes widened, "I-I-" Grace held up her hand.

"Okay, before you attempt to lie—badly, might I add—remember who you're talking to." Nina sighed and slumped her shoulders. "What happened ever since you got here?"

"It's a long story," Fabian said, which Amber nodded to.

"Then you can all tell me on the way to school,"

Nina shook her head, "It's definitely a longer story than that. How about after school?"

Grace raised her eyebrow but conceded, "Alright. But you better tell me the whole truth or I'll pester you until you do so." Nina nodded. "Alright then. Could you show me to class?" Nina nodded while Fabian and Amber led the way.

* * *

Grace was only a little bit lost. Nina had served as her school guide, but she was distracted. Apparently one of her housemates, Patricia, has not shown up to school so she was worried about her. Not only that, Nina was worried about Victor seeing her on the security tape. She had actually stolen whatever was in the safe. Grace had told Nina to go and worry about her friend and that she could navigate the school on her own. It was a lie and Grace was lost.

She found her locker and stood there, reading her schedule so she could figure out her schedule.

"Lost?" Grace looked up to see Alfie and Jerome standing there with Cheshire grins.

"Just a bit. I have to find Mrs. Andrews's class."

"We can show you around, Ray." Alfie said. The two boys linked arms with Grace and pulled her along. They led her to Mrs. Andrews's classroom, which was just down the hall from her locker. Grace wondered how she missed that. Jerome took her schedule out of her hands to look at her classes.

"Advanced Calculus, Advanced Chemistry, Advanced Physics, Psychology, Drama, French V, and English...You must be an even bigger nerd than Mara." Jerome chuckled. "Most of these classes are only offered for Sixth Form students."

Grace grabbed her schedule out of his hands and stuffed it in her pocket, "I like a challenge." She held her books tighter, feeling somewhat self-conscious with the way Jerome smirked at her. It was as if he was planning some elaborate prank on her, the newbie.

"Really now? So do I. We have that in common, Ace."

"It's Grace."

"I know."

* * *

Victor had walked out of Mr. Sweet's office and called all the Anubis residents back to the house. Grace was with Amber and Nina, who was freaking out about the security tape and Fabian's disappearance. Grace rubbed Nina's shoulder in an effort to calm her down on the way to the house. Everyone muttered questions about who stole what from Victor. Grace herself wondered what was stolen and why was it so important that Nina, of all people, would steal it.

Grace remembered that back in their little hometown, Nina was one of the golden children of the town. She helped out old people across the street, participated in town events, restored an old town landmark, had the best grades in school, and did anything that was moral. Of course, the other child was Grace, though she was more studious and focused on athletics than anything. She also mowed people's lawns, tutored their kids, coached a little league team, and babysat for them. While Nina had never committed a crime and was the worst liar in the universe, Grace was a little more sneaky and devious. Their town was about as exciting as watching paint dry. While she loved it and everyone in town—and they loved her back—she got bored with seeing the same people everyday and having the same humdrum routine. Sometimes Grace would pull small stunts like steal all of her school's balls and leave them in the town square or mailing pictures of Ben Stiller's blue steel look to everyone in town. They were mostly things meant to confuse everyone rather than incite frustration. Of course no one, except Nina, would know it was Grace as she was a sweetheart to everyone.

And ever since Nina had arrived in England, she's been more sneaky and attempting to lie, which is off-putting to Grace.

As soon as they sat down in front of the TV, Victor played the security DVD which was a video of him trimming his nose hairs. Grace laughed along with everyone in the room while Victor attempted to turn it off. Out of the corner of her eye, Grace noticed Fabian holding up what was probably the original DVD. He showed it to Nina who then kissed his cheek, making the boy blush. Grace raised an eyebrow and looked at Amber who met her eyes. She made a heart with her hands and rolled her eyes. Grace nodded, somewhat understanding the situation between Nina and Fabian.

"Which one of you miscreants has dared to interfere with my equipment?" Victor shouted, turning off the TV.

"Don't know, Victor, but can we see more of your home movies?" Alfie joked. "You seem to have a nose for comedy." Victor stormed out of the room as everyone laughed at Alfie's terrible joke.

* * *

Later that day, Nina, Fabian, and Amber helped move Grace's things into Amber and Nina's room, as Grace was now rooming with the two. While they were in school, the movers came in and put Grace's new bed by the window between Nina and Amber's. Amber had to rotate her bed so there would be more room for them to all move around. However, it was more of Nina, Fabian, and Grace rotating her bed and Amber directing them. After the bed arrangements were done, Fabian and Amber left Nina and Grace unpacked Grace's boxes and suitcases of clothing, shoes, books, CDs, and other miscellaneous items. Grace had brought more books than clothing and shoes.

After finally settling in Grace turns to Nina, "So what's going on with you and Fabian?"

Nina blushed, "It's nothing, we're just friends."

"Uh huh. What was all that kiss on the cheek earlier about?"

Nina was now a tomato. "Oh that..." Nina shrugged, "It was more of an impulsive thing. He basically saved my life by switching those DVDs."

"So you have your own Ned, or Frank."

"I'd hardly say he's Ned. We're just friends."

"But you want him to be."

"I wouldn't be opposed to it, but he doesn't like me like that anyway."

"I wouldn't give up just yet."

* * *

Down in the dining room, Jerome and Alfie were setting up the table. Alfie's parents were stopping by for dinner so they tried to make it look presentable. "Try" being that Alfie stuffed an apple in his mouth and pretended to have his head being served on a platter. Jerome and Alfie soon got into a battle with Jerome using the platter cover as a shield and Alfie using a towel to hit him. They had immediately stopped once Trudy scolded them.

Meanwhile, Nina was worried about Patricia. She had not been in school all day and she was not answering her phone. Nina had tried to reach Patricia's phone but only got her voicemail. After asking Trudy, who had notified Victor, who had said that Patricia was in the hospital because her uncle had food poisoning, Nina, Amber, and Fabian became more suspicious. Grace walked into the dining room just as Victor left the living room. She noticed the three whispering, and they made a weird signal, broke away, and went their separate ways. Fabian had picked up his bag and left the house while Nina and Amber went upstairs. _Weird._

"So, Ray," Alfie started, interrupting Grace's thoughts. The girl looked at him. "I don't know if I told you but my parents are coming over tonight," Grace nodded, motioning for him to continue, "So I was wondering if you could go along with everyone and pretend I'm head of the house."

Grace noticed Jerome shaking in the background, but didn't think anything of it, "Okay, sure."

"Great! Now what about pretending to be my girlfriend?"

"No." Jerome burst out laughing, which made Alfie duck his head in embarrassment. "Sorry, but I don't really know you so I'm not the best person to ask." Grace noticed blonde hair and blue and pink jackets rush down the stairs and run out the house. "Excuse me, but I have to go follow Frank and Joe."

"Who the hell are Frank and Joe?"

* * *

Amber and Nina had no idea that Grace was following them to the clearing. Then again, Grace made sure to leave a good ten feet between her and them so they wouldn't notice her. The three ran through the woods until Amber and Nina suddenly came to a shushed Amber once they saw a red van and a suspicious looking man squatting down over something.

"What's he looking for?" Nina asked.

"I don't know, but I think he found it," Amber said. The man picked up what looked like to be a ring and then climbed back into the van. As soon as he drove away, Nina and Amber ran out into the clearing. They stared after the van as it drove away.

Nina noticed the oil, "Amber, look, it's oil!"

"Ugh, my shoes!" Amber cried as she checked her shoes for oil.

"His van's leaking..." Grace could see the look on Nina's face and she already knew what she was going to do.

"It's a trail! We have to follow it!" Amber didn't look happy to be running but she followed Nina anyway. Grace shook her head. The two were going in without a plan and _what if they got hurt?_ Grace groaned and ran back and headed for the school to alert Fabian. He could probably help her.

* * *

Grace was out of shape and a bit dehydrated. Being hospitalized and under watch prevented her from any strenuous physical activity. Grace didn't mind, because she loved that she was being active again. Once she reached the house, she spotted Fabian rushing out with a bike and helmet.

"Fabian!" The boy turned while putting on his helmet.

"I can't talk right now Grace," he said, getting on his bike.

"It's Nina and Amber," Fabian paused, "They followed some trail in the clearing and there was a van and some creepy guy-"

"What guy?"

"I don't know. He was wearing all black and just had this look on his face like he could murder you. We have to go!"

"Hop on and show me where they went!"

Grace nodded and stood on the back of Fabian's bike. The added weight slowed them down a bit but Fabian pedaled on until they reached the clearing. Grace pointed at the oil trail for Fabian to follow and he continued biking until the two reached a brick shed just as a red van was driving away. Fabian waited until the van was out of sight before running to the door and unlocking it. As soon as he opened it, Amber and Nina nearly attacked him, making the boy scream. Grace stood behind him and giggled at the boy's scream.

"Fabian!" Amber and Nina hugged him, which is when Grace decided to show herself. Nina frowned, "Grace."

Grace rolled her eyes, "Don't look so excited to see me. Please control your excitement."

"What are you doing here?"

"I followed you earlier, Nancy."

"Why do you keep calling Nina "Nancy"?" Amber wondered, but the two other girls ignored her.

"Why did you do follow me? You could've gotten hurt!"

"Says the one that was locked in a shed."

"With your condition, you shouldn't strain yourself!"

"It's not the first time, Nina!" Grace ignored Fabian and Amber's looks. She closed her eyes and sighed. "You're keeping things from me, Nina."

"You have no idea what's going on right now."

"You owe me an explanation then. What the hell is going on?"

"Guys!" Fabian cut in, making the two girls glare at him. "Now is really not the time! We have to go save Patricia!"

"Alright, what are we gonna do now?" Nina asked.

"Now, we go to the school and confront Mrs. Andrews or Mr. Sweet. The two both know that Rufus took Patricia."

* * *

Once they got to the school and alerted Mrs. Andrews, they were told to go home, but of course Nina and Fabian wouldn't let it rest. That's how the four of them ended up biking through the clearing, with Amber complaining about her ruined shoes, to rescue Patricia. Grace still had yet to meet her and a rescue party always made a good first impression, according to her mother. Speaking of her mother, Grace needed to call her at some point. She really needed to get her priorities straight.

The four of them parked their bikes a few feet away from Mrs. Andrews's car and quietly approached it. Mrs. Andrews had hung up on her phone and drove on. The four turned back to get her bikes, and Amber cried when she stepped on animal feces. Grace scrunched up her face at the smell but ignored it and got her bike. It wasn't her bike. She took it from Fabian and Mick's room.

Mrs. Andrews's car was only parked a mile down the road but Rufus's van was ten feet away so the four parked their bikes out of sight. As Mrs. Andrews and Rufus confronted each other, the four ran on the path that was hidden behind the trees. They ran to the back of the van, where Patricia was probably kept. A girl with red hair popped up inside with a scared look on her face. It was Patricia. Fabian went to unlock the door but struggled since he was using a crow bar. Where he got it from, Grace had no idea. As Rufus started the ignition, they finally opened the door and Patricia jumped out. Fabian slammed the door as Rufus drove away. Grace was awkwardly pulled into the group hug between Amber, Nina, Fabian, and Patricia.

Once they broke away, Patricia looked at Grace, "Who are you?"

"I'm Grace. I'm new and here to further the plot of this story."

Patricia gave a confused look but masked it with a snide one. "Another American, huh?"

"Patricia, be nice," Nina scolded. "Grace just helped save your life."

"Alright. Thank you, I guess." Patricia turned and approached a distraught Mrs. Andrews.

"What on earth?" Mrs. Andrews sighed with relief. "Patricia, I was so worried-"

"Save it!"

Mrs. Andrews was shocked, "Patricia!"

"C'mon, what's the big mystery? Why is Rufus after Joy? Where is she? Tell me or I'll go global!" _Is "going global" some type of English term?_ Grace wondered.

"Don't threaten me, Patricia. You have no idea what you're getting into."

"Don't threaten me, Daphne. I'm already in it." _Well, damn. She's on a roll._

Mrs. Andrews sighed, "All will be explained later. For now, let's get you all home."

* * *

As soon as the five of them got home, Trudy scolded them for being out late without telling anyone. Mrs. Andrews covered for them, saying that they were all working on a school project. Afterwards, Trudy had sent them to their rooms as it was half an hour to curfew.

Grace changed into her pajamas and brushed her teeth along with Nina, Patricia, and Amber, who all started filling her in the details. Patricia and Nina told most of the story of Joy's disappearance, Sarah Frobisher-Smythe, how Victor and the teachers were involved, Sibuna, and Rufus Zeno/Renee Zeldman. Amber had mostly talked about the relationship drama that happened between her, Mick, Mara, and somewhat Alfie. She also complained about her dirty shoes and declared that the woods were not for her. Patricia and Grace had officially introduced themselves to each other and the latter actually liked the other girl, despite how she treated Nina when she first arrived. Grace would've done the same if Nina had suddenly disappeared and was replaced by someone else.

"So does that explain it all?" Nina asked, climbing into her bed. She was exhausted after that day's events.

"Yeah, somewhat," Grace turned off her lamp.

"What else do you want to know?"

"Have you and Fabian kissed yet?"

" _Grace!_ "

* * *

 **For those who are wondering, "Frank and Joe" are Frank and Joe Hardy aka the Hardy Boys, who are fictional teen detectives. They have collaborated with Nancy Drew on some mysteries.**

 **Thank you for reading! Please leave a review or something!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to those who reviewed! Here is Chapter 2. Let me know what you think! I apologize for a very late update.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own House of Anubis.**

* * *

When Grace woke up the next morning, she found Amber and Nina's beds both empty. Grace rolled her eyes and got up to get ready for school. It was only seven in the morning and they were already off super-sleuthing. Grace grabbed her towel and headed for the bathroom, where she found Patricia by the sink, brushing her teeth. The Brit's eyes were baggy from the lack of sleep. Grace couldn't blame her, considering the situation.

"Where is everybody?" Grace asked, hanging up her towel and turning the shower on to warm it up. "I woke up an Nina and Amber were gone. I figured there was some mystery thing going on again, but you're here so I guess that's not the case."

Patricia had spit into the sink before replying, "I think they're all saying goodbye to Mick. He's going to California to compete for some sports scholarship," Patricia dried her mouth with a towel, "I would be down there but I'm not all for sappy moments. Plus, I have other things to worry about."

"Joy, I'm guessing?" Patricia nodded.

"It's just weird how they suddenly replace her and cut her off from everyone. And then a few days ago, she asks to meet in the clearing after the play but then she runs off and is nowhere to be found. Like what's so secretive about her that she has to be hidden? The girl loves rom-coms for God's sake!"

Grace could only shrug.

* * *

Grace prided herself in the ability to walk and read at the same time. In between classes, she would walk down the hall and read on her way to the next class. She was good at dodging obstacles so she didn't trip or get hit with a ball. That, and many people tried to avoid her because they usually ended up hurting themselves one way or another. But Grace was very oblivious and indifferent to people getting injured. One time, a student walked into her and fell in front of her. Grace just stepped over him and continued walking. Another time, a student took down the whole marching band while trying to avoid the tall bookworm. Grace loved reading and hated it when people interrupted her, especially now.

"Ace!" Jerome caught up to the girl along with Alfie, who was out of breath from running. The girl rolled her eyes and kept on walking. "Wow, you walk fast! Alfie and I have been calling after you since you left the house."

"These legs aren't just made for show."

"But they are still nice to look at," Jerome smirked. Alfie giggled behind him. Grace sighed and tore her gaze away from her book, knowing that it was pointless to ignore them. They'd just pester her later.

"What do you want?"

Alfie and Jerome shivered, "Well, it just got colder here."

"England is chilly in general. What do you want?"

"We just wanted to walk to school with you."

Grace raised an eyebrow and pointed at the building before them, "We're already here." Alfie burst out laughing at Jerome's failed attempt at God knows what.

* * *

Grace took a seat next to Mara since Mick was no longer there. Mara was one of the smartest people Grace has met and she took the best notes. Grace needed someone like Mara in order to catch up on school work quickly and efficiently.

Next to them were Patricia and Amber who whispered to Nina and Fabian about last night's events. Mrs. Andrews walked into the classroom as soon as the bell rang.

"Okay, settle down quickly please," Mrs. Andrews sat down at her desk and looked at the students, "Thank you. Now, it has come to our attention that some of you are not as occupied as you might like outside of class,"

"You can say that again!" Jerome from the back of the class, "Bring on the new girls, Miss!" Grace gave Jerome an amused look and he winked at her in return.

Mrs. Andrews continued, unfazed, "So we've decided to run elections for a school representative. The school representative will be ambassador for the school and would represent the student body and their problems to the staff," Patricia raised her hand, making Mrs. Andrews tense "Yes, Patricia?"

Patricia lowered her arm, "I don't like the school rep idea, Mrs. Andrews, but I might be interested in starting a school paper. The gossip, the news, the scandal, the truth...Wouldn't you reckon?" Grace wanted to hit Patricia for being so blatant. Subtlety was not Sibuna's strong suit. Grace wondered how none of their other housemates caught on. _Probably because they're busy with their own teenage angst._

"I think that you'll find that little matter has already been handled."

Patricia smirked, pleased with herself.

"Now about school representative..."

* * *

"Do you think Mick's feeling nervous?" Mara asked as she linked arms with Patricia and Grace as soon as class ended. Mara wasn't really asking Grace, but Patricia wasn't paying attention either. The goth pixie was more focused on Sibuna rather than her roommate's boy troubles.

"When do you think he'll land...Patricia?" Mara asked, bringing Patricia's attention back.

"Sorry, what?"

"I asked if you-"

"I'm sorry but I have to go..." Patricia unhooked her arm from Mara's and ran to catch up to Amber, Nina, and Fabian. Grace frowned at the girl's rudeness.

"Aw, Mick's gone and Mara's got no one to play with," Jerome popped up at their side along with Alfie. _Seriously, those two are always together_. "Don't worry, Mara, you can hang out with us, if you'd like."

Mara looked between the two, "No thanks that would be weird." Mara walked away, leaving Grace with the dynamic duo.

"Bring on the new girls, miss,"Alfie mimicked, "Looks like you're happy with the old ones,"

"What, Mara?" Jerome shivered, "Ugh, no she's the icy queen of ice!"

"I think Jerome's in _love_ ," Grace and Alfie high fived. The two opened the door, letting Victor storm in and stomp over to Patricia, Nina, Amber, and Fabian.

"You want to know the truth?" Victor grumbled, "Follow me." He turned with his trench coat flying like a cape and stormed out. The group gave each other looks of uncertainty before following Victor. Grace wondered if Victor was even allowed to pull students out of school this often.

Grace looked around and noticed someone missing.

She looked at Alfie, "Where did Blondie go?"

* * *

Grace used her study hall period as a time to do homework. She didn't have much to work on but her classes required more effort to be put into the homework. Grace would rather work on it now than later, when her housemates would cause distractions. Mara sat across from her reading the mail she received earlier that morning. She sighed at the card she got. Just in time for Jerome to walk in and hear.

"Problem?" Jerome asked, sitting down next to the girl. Grace smirked, tuning into the conversation. She positioned herself so she could watch the two without them noticing. It wasn't hard since the two ignored everyone else.

Mara shook her head, "Nothing. Just a card from my parents wishing me luck with the play. It's a bit late for it."

"Well, at least you got a card."

"I don't think I've ever met your parents, Jerome,"

The boy tensed, "Probably because they never actually visit." Grace frowned, realizing that his parents were probably a sore subject for him.

From the corner of her eye, Grace noticed Alfie moonwalking into the room. Or at least attempting to moonwalk. He had his headphones on and was oblivious to his surroundings."Ow!" Alfie sang out and spun around. The spin made him trip and fall. Jerome and a few other boys burst out laughing at Alfie, but he ignored them. "Jerome! You're supposed to be helping me with my b-boy moves! I almost got the caterpillar!" Alfie laid flat on his stomach and made an exaggerated rippling motion with his whole body. Grace sighed, feeling embarrassed for him.

Jerome laughed, "Almost being the operative word."

Mara furrowed her eyebrows, "Don't you see them in the holidays then?" Grace wanted to smack Mara for being dense.

Jerome's smiled disappeared, "Anyway, I've got to go." He picked up his things and stood up.

"Hey Jerome, hold my legs so I can spin on my head," Alfie called, attempting to do a handstand. Jerome ignored him.

Mara looked worried, "Sorry, Jerome. Did I say something?"

"No, just places to go, people to see," Jerome left the room, ignoring Alfie's call for help. Grace shook her head and went back to her work. Alfie, on the other hand, stood up and limped towards the girl.

"Can you help me with my b-boy moves?"

* * *

Grace had later walked into the drama room after her Chemistry class and spotted Jerome and Mara conversing on one of the couches. Immediately she walked out and hid behind a wall. Jerome ate out of a bag of jelly beans while listening to Mara. The tension had seemed to be resolved as the boy tossed jelly beans into the air, trying to catch it with his mouth. He was not very successful but he beamed at successfully making Mara laugh. Grace grinned at the interesting development between her housemates and decided to leave before they spotted her spying on them. Her presence would only make things more awkward than necessary.

As Grace spun around to leave, she ended up bumping into another student. That student happened to have coffee on hand, which now drenched Grace's uniform. Grace was glad that it was cold coffee or she would've been in so much pain.

"Oh I'm so sorry," a male spoke. "I didn't see you there!"

Grace shrugged, "It happens. It was my fault anyway."

"Can I get you something to dry your clothes? You know what, I'll get you some paper towels." The boy left before Grace could even respond. Grace sighed, removing her bag and setting it on a dry spot on the floor while she waited for the boy to come back.

Two minutes later the boy came back with an entire roll of paper towels and he hastily ripped a few sheets and threw it at Grace. He knelt down on the floor and placed the sheets over the spill to absorb it. Grace took a couple of sheets to dry her uniform. She had two more classes of the day so she would have to deal with the stain later. Maybe she'd borrow Nina's sweater to cover up the spill on her blouse.

"I'm so sorry about this again," the boy said. "Can I make it up to you?"

Grace shook her head, "I think I'll survive. I'll just head to class now."

"Oh I'm Luke, by the way," he extended his arm for her to shake it but retracted once he remembered all the scrunched up wet paper towels in his hand. "Are you new here? I've never seen you before. Plus your accent is American so you're definitely not from here." Grace smiled. She had to admit that the guy was cute with his dark hair and dark eyes. He had a kind smile as well. He was also tall, which was a bonus for Grace.

"Yeah, it's my second day here. I would've been here earlier but I had stuff to deal with back home."

"Well, welcome to Amun. I'm sorry it had to be in this fashion."

"Thanks. It could always be worse, so don't worry about it."

"Well maybe-"

The conversation was cut short as there was loud crash from the drama room, followed by a scream and laughter. Grace shot Luke a smile before running into the drama room to find Alfie sprawled out on stage, chess pieces on the floor by Mara and Jerome, and a skateboard rolling nearby. Alfie clutched his groin in pain as Grace made her way to the stage.

"Alfie, are you okay?" Grace asked extending an arm to help pull the boy up. Alfie took her hand and winced as he pulled himself up.

"Maybe skateboarding isn't for me," Alfie groaned.

"Probably not. You can barely walk without tripping over your own feet."

"Thanks, Ray." He smiled sadly at Jerome and Mara, who were busy resetting their chess game, before limping off to get to class. Grace glanced at the pair, shook her head, and exited stage left.

* * *

"Woah, what happened to your shirt, Ace?"

Grace rolled her eyes and continued walking to the drama room. _Jeez, everything happens in that damn room_ , Grace thought. _I guess that's why they call it a drama room._ Grace smiled to herself at the stupid joke. Apparently, Mrs. Andrews had some important news to make, which was why everyone was heading over there. Grace had not been able to track down Nina so she had to sit through class with a visible coffee stain on her blouse. She cursed herself for leaving her sweater back at the house. Not only did it give people an excuse to stare at her chest, but it also smelled and cold coffee plus air conditioning equaled cold Grace. Grace loved coffee, but not on her clothes.

"Some guy accidentally spilled coffee on me. Nothing major. I haven't been able to track Nina down to borrow her sweater. And the air conditioning in this school isn't helping."

"Well, that sucks for you."

"I'm surprised you noticed, considering you're so focused on Mara."

"What? No!"

"Uh huh." Before Grace could add more, the two had reached the drama room. Jerome immediately spotted Mara and left Grace's side to sit with her, making Grace smirk. She walked over to where Nina and Amber. She looked upset about something so Grace hugged her and rested her head on Nina's shoulder. It was how they comforted each other if the other didn't feel like talking about it.

"Okay, settle down," Mrs. Andrews said from the top of the stage, "Now that everyone's here, I just wanted to announce that we are officially moving ahead with our idea of a school representative. That person would be chosen from this year group."

"Is that it?" Alfie called out, making a few students laugh. "Boring. I thought it would be some exciting mystery."

"Be careful what you wish for," Patricia commented. Grace felt Nina tense up a bit.

Mrs. Andrews ignored Alfie, "So do we have any nominations?"

Jerome raised his hand, "I nominate Mara Jaffray." Mara looked shocked but she nodded in agreement. Jerome lowered his arm and smiled at the girl.

"Good. Any other nominations?"

Alfie raised his hand, "I nominate Am-"

"Don't you dare!" Amber snapped.

"Am...melia Pinches!" Everyone raised an eyebrow at the pigtail wearing girl.

"Amelia? Excellent."

"What? Why?" Fabian whispered.

"She's qualified," Alfie defended, sending Amelia an awkward smile. Fabian glanced at Amber then Amelia and finally understood the situation

"Any other nominations? No. Nominations will close in five days time." Mrs. Andrews left the stage as everyone left the room.

Grace pulled her best friend aside, "Nina what's up? You look upset about something."

Nina sighed, "Everyone's given up on the mystery. We assumed the Victor we know was the same one in the picture but we found another picture that labeled him as current Victor's father. And the fluid that nearly killed Aflie turned out to be some herbal juice. But none of it adds up. The necklace, Sarah, Joy, everything. Oh and we had a video chat with Joy and she said that we should trust the teachers and that was even more suspicious. It's all just going to crap and everyone's giving up. Even Fabian!" Grace pulled her best friend into a tight hug as spilled all of her feelings. Grace sighed, wondering what the hell the school had done to her best friend.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Please leave a review if you want. Let me know what you think!**


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